Lahaina panel will resume the role of July 4 fundraising

February 8, 2014

The LahainaTown Action Committee will resume the lead role of planning, coordinating and fundraising for this year's 4th of July Fireworks celebration in Lahaina, according to a joint announcement from the committee and the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

The long-standing event began under the LahainaTown Action Committee, but the Maui Chamber of Commerce and a few other organizations took over in 2009 while the committee "regrouped and strengthened their organization," the announcement said.

"The annual Fourth of July Fireworks in Lahaina event could have been lost as no organization was able to carry it forward at that time," chamber President Pamela Tumpap said. "As it is such an important economic and social event for the Maui community, we agreed to step up to the plate and keep it alive."

Tumpap said that it was challenging at times to raise the more than $40,000 needed to host the event every year, "but the Maui community rallied together and always made it happen." Mayor Alan Arakawa and the Maui County Office of Economic Development also provided assistance, Tumpap said.

Since the chamber began hosting the event in 2009, crowd attendance grew from around 12,000 to more than 20,000 people, Tumpap said.

"It was a joy to host," she said.

However, she added that the LahainaTown Action Committee has strengthened itself over the last several years, facilitating events like Halloween in Lahaina and Second Fridays.

"It is time to hand the baton over and let them run with it again," Tumpap said, adding that the committee would save on insurance costs and other expenses by coordinating multiple West Maui events.

LahainaTown Action Committee Executive Director Lynn Donovan said in a statement that the group is proud of all that has been accomplished in the last four years and "happy to regain our 4th of July in Lahaina event."